Waterfall
by Akatsume
Summary: She peered at the man carefully, waiting for an answer. Issues of the heart occasionaly require advice. [GaaHina] Sequel is up!
1. Chapter One

Waterfall

The figure moved uneasily in thought. She waited patiently but anxiously for his response.

"Ask him first. Then you might be able to find out. Simple questions, not direct to the subject you wish to gain information on. Why again do you wish to know?" He queried.

She blushed uncertainly. "You may tell me. I might know him. I've kept your secrets so far, have I not?" She had to agree there. This strange man, a ninja from either Leaf or Sand, she did not know, had been meeting her at a waterfall for a few weeks now. She never saw the stranger past the sheen of flowing water, yet, in a strange way, she felt she could trust him. He had not betrayed her trust yet. They would meet at Strange Falls, a relatively unknown location, to talk. He told her nothing about himself, his name was a mystery, as was his appearance; his voice was teasingly familiar. Only that he was a friend. The waterfall was called strange because it was dead silent. The water flowed at such an angle that when it hit the rock below, it never made more than an occasional dim splash. She would bear her soul to him; tell him every aspect of her life she wished for advice. He would always listen attentively; always he would provide her with, at the very least, an epiphany. The shy Hyuuga had changed and grown more than anyone had thought possible, all thanks to his advice. He never seemed irritated at her; he gave her the best advice he could. It sometimes seemed like he enjoyed it, the way a civilian might enjoy collecting stamps.

"You have been exceedingly loyal. I am wrong to hesitate." The figure seemed to nod.

"Now then. Who is he?" He seemed uninterested to know if it weren't for the fact that he made a point to ask.

"I am unsure of what to call him. He says that if I have known him from before his 'promotion', that I must call him his name without a suffix. Demo, I am not comfortable doing so because, in my opinion, I do not know him well enough."

"Call him by his formal title; all that apply." Replied the figure without hesitation.

"Sabaku no Gaara, Kazekage of Sunagakure no Satou." The figure remained in silent thought for a moment.

"I know him. Quite well, in fact." He replied with a strange tone in his voice. "And why do you wish to know him more thoroughly, without his permission, might I add?"

His words stung a bit, but she responded bravely.

"I've… a bit of a f-fancy…for, uh…h-him" It was the first time she had stuttered since their first meeting. The man seemed shocked in silence. His posture, from what she could tell, was slightly slumped over in frustration; his hand was on his forehead. "Is something the matter?" she asked shyly. He made a small noise as though he was contemplating.

"Go and tell him as soon as you possibly can. He shall not reject you, this you may believe." She was slightly startled at his answer. He always answered with some uncertainty, for no man can predict fully the actions of others. One particular statement echoed in her mind as she thanked him and left. _I know him…quite well, in fact. I know him quite well…quite well?_ It didn't make any sense. Not even his siblings knew him that well… Who would know him better than his own family? He had no assistant that would know him personally; he would never allow such a thing. He had no object of affection that he could bare his heart to. Who did that leave? A secret friend or love, perhaps? She couldn't know. Who was this man, anyways? And why was he so kind to her? All these questions and more flooded her mind as she entered the city gates at exactly half past one. Any later and her father would worry, unless she was on a mission. Funny, she thought, how her father can be more concerned about her coming home five minutes late than her being on an S-class assassination mission in enemy country. She slept uneasily; her mind was still plagued with queries by morning. She would not be able to see the man until that night.

0oOo0

Gaara strode impatiently on the rooftop. What had he been thinking? His emotions had taken control; that had never had good results. Why should this time be any different? He was positive she wouldn't reject him; **she** was the one interested in **him**, after all. How would he react to the confession? Any response he could give with his limited emotion would be mistranslated as rejection. Then it hit him. Actions speak louder than words, don't they? Yes, that would do nicely. He wouldn't be due in Konoha for another week, however. He didn't like this timeline…

0oOo0

Hinata escaped the Hyuuga household as quickly as she could. She blew past Neji at the front gate, apologizing on the run. She had to find Gaara, although the feeling in her chest told her to do otherwise. _No…I've got to find him!_ She bolted to the Hokage building in search of Tsunade. She slowed to a quick walk once she was inside the building.

"Excuse me…" She said quietly to the receptionist. "Do you know if the Kazekage is in town?" The receptionist shook her head.

"He's not going to be here for another week or so. Sorry, Hyuuga-sama." Hinata thanked her and left rather slowly. She was hoping to put this tidbit of advice to use quickly; a bit like ripping off a band-aid. Feeling slightly dejected, she walked down the street with her hands in her pockets, her eyes downcast in thought.

"Hinata-chan? Something wrong?" She smiled up at her teammate.

"Ie, Kiba-kun. Just thinking." Kiba nodded.

"By the way, everyone is down at Ichiraku Ramen. Apparently there's some rumors going around and everyone wants in on it. Ja-ne!" He said, bolting off to Teuchi's ramen shop. Hinata followed slowly; she didn't have anything else to do, so why not?

"Ohayo gozaima-"

"Hinata-chan!" She looked up at the one who had cut her off. "Hi!" She smiled up at the loud blonde and tried her greeting again. This time, she finished it without any interruptions. Sakura sighed in annoyance.

"Leave it to Naruto to but in before she has two words out…"

"What is everyone talking about?" She asked shyly.

"Gaara-kun is coming by tomorrow morning! He wasn't supposed to be here for another week, but for some reason he's taking a small break here!" Yelled Lee excitedly. Her face paled.

Gaara-sama! Here! BY MORNING! Oh, dear!

"Hinata? Are you okay? You look a little pale…" said Naruto.

"I'm f-fine." She said with a small laugh.

"She's probably scared of Kazekage-sama. He can be a pretty intimidating guy…" whispered a random person. In a way, they were right. She should be able to trust the stranger's advice beyond a shadow of a doubt, but a deep, gloomy cloud hung over her head. The feeling in her gut told her frightening things. She was going to talk to the waterfall man again tonight, even if it killed her!

0oOo0

"You doubt me?" he questioned her. He had an amused tone in his voice.

"Sumimasen…I am not able to do otherwise. It is my instinct." He scoffed at her statement.

"Instinct is hitting the invisible target; instinct is sensing the presence of an enemy ninja though completely innocent circumstances. Having a sudden attack of nervousness at the prospect of revealing to a rather frightening individual that you have feelings for him…is not instinct. You are simply nervous. Anyone in your position would be, despite my reassurance." She nodded mutely. What could she say? "He will be there tomorrow…by the river at sunset; choose your timing wisely." He mused. The river? It's almost as though he was setting her up. Why was everything going so perfectly? This time, it was instinct.

Sorry to all those who are waiting for me to update Much Allotted Time for Mishaps. I'm almost done! I've had some 'dental work' done -- (More like 'those sick bastards enjoy torturing me' work XP) And now school hath begun! I needed to get some stuff out of my head, so here it is. (Yes, this will be multi-chapter, however there won't be many chapters.)

Tsu-chan


	2. Chapter Two

Waterfall: Chapter 2

Gaara looked out impassively at the sea of sand; his cold turquoise orbs glowed with thought. Every word of his conversation with her played back in his mind; he analyzed everything. Had he given her any clues? She seemed oblivious to his identity still. The other was obvious enough. _Choose your timing wisely._ He almost laughed aloud. The river at sunset was not an obvious setup? If she had not at least gotten a gut feeling by now, she was a worse ninja than he had guessed. Though he would never reveal it to another living soul, he was nervous. This girl he had seen for so long from a distance, the one he admired for her courage and beauty, this girl he had wished to call his own, she finally could be. He felt a wave of warmth at the prospect. His own. Hinata would be his. His to hold, his to…_ love_, even. He had welcomed this ideal into his life since becoming a village leader. Love. The kanji on his forehead meant something much different now. He had love. He had finally accepted the love of his remaining family; he had even made a few acquaintances in Konohagakure. He was surprised at the ease with which they welcomed him. Lee had invited him into his own home. Naruto had paid for his food. Hinata had talked to him every night for a month, though she didn't know it was he. Even so, she had trusted a total stranger; he found her either smart or stupid for doing so. He was still undecided. A dim aura caught his eye; pale yellow lanterns shone in the distance. He had arrived.

0oOo0

Hinata nervously straightened her kimono. She was somewhat required to look formal for a meeting with the Kazekage. He, for some strange reason, had requested her presence at the Hokage's office upon his arrival. She exhaled shakily, calming her nerves. Taking a quick gander out the window, she was relieved to see that she had at least an hour until sunset. She ran her hand uncertainly through her long, dark tresses; she was unsure of how to wear her hair for this occasion. After running a few options through her head, she decided to leave it down. Nowadays, it was usually braided down her back.

Hurrying through the gray corridors of the Hyuuga compound, she attempted to clear her mind. It wasn't working. There was going to be hell to pay if she didn't manage to collect herself by the time she arrived.

0oOo0

Gaara licked his lips briefly; this would be interesting. He could taste the girl's nervousness and anticipation from here. Finally, a soft knock was heard at the door. Hinata entered slowly, mixing emotions showing on her pale face. Naruto and Lee followed after; Gaara's two closest friends. Of course, his own siblings were standing next to him. He observed the pale girl. Her light lavender furisode accented the similar hue in her eyes; he observed the fluid movement of the dark hair cascading down her back and over her shoulders. His conclusion: she was beautiful. A few other people came through the door to welcome his family, including Temari's friends. The boys were dressed normally, the girls had gone formal for this occasion; he was glad that Hinata had.

After an hour of eating, drinking (on Tsunade's part), and happy banter, the party had to disperse. Bidding farewell, Hinata was second to leave. She was glad to exit the room; the tension between her and Gaara had been palpable. Not angry tension, just…tension. She was afraid to say sexual tension; just the word made her blush. They certainly didn't have any conflict with one another. What was this? She would have time to think later. Little did she realize: the one that she was too afraid to say was the correct answer. Sparks had been zipping across the room the entire time; she had been afraid that someone would notice.

Looking up suddenly at her surroundings, she noticed that night was approaching fast, and she was already near the river. One more thing, a rather obvious thing, caught her eye. She turned her head to look at the nearby bridge. _Gaara_. The evening light enflamed his already fiery hair; his captivating gaze locked with hers. All air escaped her lungs. She froze.

0oOo0

"Did you catch that?" asked Sakura. Temari looked curiously over at her friend.

"Catch what?" Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Duh! Your brother! Hinata! SPARKS! Hello!" She spoke as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I can tell when he's hating on someone…"

"Not hate, Temari! Looooooove!" Sakura gushed. Temari recoiled.

"Whatsis? Nononono! Gaara's gotten used to friendly love, sibling love…but…romantic love? I don't think he's there yet…" Sakura shrugged.

"I could feel it bouncing off the walls! Tell me you didn't sense that!" It was Temari's turn to shrug.

"I _was_ getting something unfamiliar from him…"

0oOo0

Gaara held her gaze intensely. She was trapped. She couldn't look away. Perfect. She was right where he wanted her. Slowly, he approached her. The way her eyes widened made her look like a frightened deer. He took even steps; the sound echoed in the surrounding silence. He heard her nervous breaths; she licked her lips anxiously. His eyes flicked down to her lips for a moment; that was when she realized. A part of her wanted it: badly. But a small portion of her rationality screamed "No!"

He continued his painfully slow advances; their hearts beat faster with each step. Her pulse pounded in her ears and she felt that he could hear each beat just as loud, not realizing that he felt the same. They were within arms reach. She panicked slightly at the thought of his touch.

"You have something to say to me." Her heart almost stopped. The unbearable silence afterwards echoed in her ears.

"H-hai." She whispered. She caught the ghost of a smirk on his lips.

"I know what it is."

And with that, he vanished.

She stood in shock, unable to move, unable to think. The tension finally dispersed as she collapsed to her knees. A small circle of sand from his departure taunted her. She observed it carefully; she didn't know what compelled her to do so. In the very middle of the circle was a small, tan object. Sand had been pressured into the shape of a smooth, round heart. It shone slightly. The heart was lightly patterned with darker sand, tracing the surface lightly in wisps. It was beautiful. Perfect. She picked it up gently and carried it with her to the Hyuuga compound.

_Oh, Gaara._

0oOo0

She observed the small stone once more before placing it protectively in her sleeve. It was so sweet of him, and after all that tension, too. He truly was unpredictable.

She ran up to her room with the treasure, holding it protectively. She resembled a schoolgirl with a note from a boy. Pouncing on her bed excitedly, and lying on her stomach, she pulled the stone from her sleeve carefully. She was captivated by it. The simple yet complex patterns riddled her mind. They seemed to change like the desert sands themselves. She noticed a small circle cut inconspicuously in the top. _Of course…to make a necklace._ She searched every square inch of her room for something to use. By the end of her search she had found: Many different colors of thread and yarn, a length of white kite string, and a strip of black leather. The choice was obvious. She tested the length of the leather around her neck and was overjoyed when she saw the loop slack over her chest. Threading the pendant carefully, she tied it behind her head and pulled her hair through. It was short enough to show off, but long enough to tuck under her collar if she wished. She held it to her breast with one hand; cold eyes flashed in her mind. She was now even more infatuated with this mysterious man.

0oOo0

She excitedly told him her story, clutching her precious gift all the while. When she was done, she waited expectantly. Silence filled the air thickly as she waited.

"Congratulations." He said calmly, causing her to feel ashamed of her display of excitement. "I also have news." This was new! The stranger would never talk of his own life...

"Come." His hand stretched through the waterfall. She gazed at the wet, calloused hand. Should she go? She felt like she was entering another, magical dimension: his world. It felt magical just being there. The white moon lit every drop of water. The glowing liquid sparkled before her face, and she saw patched color through the waterfall. She finally had somewhat of an image to connect to the voice. "Through the waterfall. I want to show you." She reached out uncertainly…

Yay! Cliffhanger! Sorry if there are any mistakes I missed. I tried! This is my second shot at a GaaHina, so I need your opinion: should I write more of these? Thanks to the one person who reviewed! XD

Tsu-chan


	3. Chapter Three

Waterfall

"You needn't be afraid." Came his voice again. Hinata gulped. Her heartbeat began echoing in her ears again._ 'Come, on Hinata, you've wanted to know for a while now…'_ She cleared her throat once more to unsuccessfully relieve the tension. Rather familiar tension. Her eyes widened in realization.

"G-Gaara-sama?" His body visibly stiffened; she could tell from behind the wall of fluid. She made a move to push through the icy waters. Just as she burst through the cold barrier, the familiar sound of swirling sand filled her ears._ 'Gaara-sama, no!'_

She rubbed the water from her eyes just in time to see him disappear. In his place once again, was a heart.

0oOo0

She held the trinket gently in her palm. It glistened like the other; Light sand swirled across the top in the same mesmerizing motions. The heart was a color negative of the other. Dark sand, the same shade as the wisps of its twin, comprised the main color. Lighter sand, the main color of the other heart, traced the surface lightly. She laced the pendant onto the same strip of leather as the other, and leapt home with a confused heart.While on the slow walk home, she sorted her feelings. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Why wouldn't Gaara reveal himself to her? Yet he was being so sweet at the same time. He would simply be there one minute, and gone in the next. She wasn't sure what she would do if someone were to find out about her little 'romantic rendezvous' with the waterfall man either, whose identity was obvious by now. Even a glimpse of the pendant around her neck was a dead giveaway! It would be fairly obvious who gave her the hearts made of **sand**. Once thing was certain: she needed to see him again.

0oOo0

Gaara smirked triumphantly. It wasn't every day that you could sneak up to within an inch of a Byakugan user's person without being detected. However, he had accomplished exactly that. Hinata was still completely unaware that Gaara was less than an inch behind her.

"Kimi…" she froze.

"M-me…?"

"You've wanted something for a while now, haven't you?" He whispered eerily.

"I-I don't know w-what you mean…" He smirked and wrapped his arms around her slowly.

"I think you do. I can't read minds…enlighten me…"

"I…I think you already know what I want." She barely whispered.

"Oh?" he said amusedly. His warm whispers tickled her ear. She blushed at the feeling of his hot breath on her neck, unconsciously leaning into his heartbeat.

'_Hm. She's accepting this contact rather quickly…' _thought Gaara, slightly shocked. '_Let's see how much more she can take…'_ A mischievous smile played on his lips for a moment. Gaara spun her around, pushing her back against a nearby wall. Before she could verbally protest, he closed the distance between their lips.

0oOo0

It took her a moment to comprehend what had happened. He forced and persuaded her at the same time to submit. Hinata's fingers found their way into his tangled mane as something inside of her released itself; she deepened the kiss. Gaara was pushed back by her for a moment, surprised by her vigor, but quickly regained the upper hand. He pressured her body against his own and the smooth wall behind her. When she opened her mouth to moan at the contact, he took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. A new moan expressed her delight. Gaara coaxed her tongue to battle with his own; she shivered at the new sensation. His hands on her waist only added to the experience.

' _This is becoming more than a game to me…' _Normally when Gaara had this thought, he would flee. Something compelled him not to do so this time. Perhaps it was the rather attractive girl that was in his arms. That rather attractive girl, much to Gaara's joy, was no longer exactly in his arms. She had found something much better. Gaara's eyes shot open and widened as Hinata's thigh brushed his leg.

'_Whoah, there! Easy, Gaara!'_ He reminded himself. Unfortunately, his body had already reacted without him. He had lifted her warm thighs around his waist, and was now trailing kisses down the slope of her throat. His heart rate quickened when her moan of delight floated into his ears.(1)

0oOo0

Neji had always assumed that he was unlucky. Now, he had proof. His proof was walking through a dark alley and finding a sweet, innocent little Hinata shoving her tongue down the throat of a sand demon! This must be reported to Hiashi…

Oooh, they've been found! (1) This reminded me of a Dane Cook quote. I started laughing in the middle of a make-out scene just from thinking "And deep into your limbic system…" The way Dane had said it on his CD. Sorry if you thought there was going to be lemony goodness and were disappointed. Also sorry if you weren't expecting limey goodness and got disappointed. Yeah.


	4. Chapter Four

No own no sue!

Waterfall: Chapter Four

"Hiashi-sama!" Neji burst through the large double doors ungracefully. Hiashi threw a rather cold and reprimanding gaze at Neji, but he knew that his otherwise respectful nephew should have a good reason for such disrespect.

"Yes?" He stated tersely, sipping his tea. Neji panted for another moment before replying.

"Hinata… Gaara… Alley…" He managed to spit out between pants. Hiashi cocked an eyebrow. _'Is he implying what I think he's implying…?'_

"Show me." He stated calmly, though he was internally burning with rage: anger directed towards his daughter for doing something so disrespectful (with someone equally disrespectful), and rage towards the demon for violating his daughter. There would be hell to pay. Hiashi would make sure of that.

0oOo0

Gaara almost didn't see them coming. That had never happened before. Was this the effect that women had? Silently apologizing to Hinata, he disappeared again, causing her to fall ungracefully on her rear. A rather unpleasant wake-up call. She called out slightly in pain, still oblivious as to why Gaara had left again.

"Byakugan!" she whispered. Something compelled her to do so. What she saw made her gasp. Neji and Hiashi were about a block away, running to her. How did they know!? Neither of them had activated their Byakugan yet; as soon as they lifted their hands in unison to do so, she tried to leap out of range. She somehow managed to leap over several buildings in a gazelle-like manner before Neji and Hiashi found her. Thankfully, she was right next to the Yamanaka flower shop; thanking the gods again that it was open, she walked inside.

"Ino-chan! I've been here for hours, ne?" Ino looked at her quizzically before Neji burst in, followed by Hiashi.

"Hiding something…? Right, you've been here." Ino whispered, followed by a discreet wink. "Hiashi-sama! Neji-san! Come in! Do you need something?" She greeted rather loudly.

"Hinata." Stated Neji. Fire burned in his eyes.

"Y-yes?"

"Where is he." The question sounded more like a statement; his voice literally chilled the room.

"Who?" Everything seemed to be working partially in Hinata's favor tonight; she had always been a good liar in desperate times.

"You. Know. Who." Fury usually unseen flowed from him. Hiashi stood quietly behind, observing the scene.

"I've been with Ino-chan. Sumimasen: I'm late. I just needed some advice is all…" Ino nodded.

"Flower stuff. You know." Hiashi raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"First strike. I have no proof but two conflicting stories: I'll let you go for now." Hiashi's voice grew cold. "Demo… If I **ever**, **_ever, _**catch you with that **monster** again, there will be **_dire_** consequences." With that, Hiashi left a very relieved Hinata and disbelieving Neji standing awkwardly in the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

"Gawd, your father is S-C-A-R-Y!"

0oOo0

Gaara could no longer deny it. It made him feel weak to say it. Was she worth feeling weak? Beyond a shadow of a doubt. His mind answered the question with no hesitation. He. Loved. Hyuuga. Hinata. For the first time in his life, he had romantic love. The love of a woman that was not related to him. The experience, though foreign and frightening, left him without words. The sensations that flooded his mind every time her face appeared in his mind, every time the memory of her warmth and taste and feel caused a tingling up his spine, he adored it. Almost as much as the subject herself. The feeling was addictive; he wanted more, he needed more. She was a drug, and a very addictive drug at that. He would find a way, despite the prohibition he knew her father had placed. He **would **find a way.

0oOo0

Hinata's knees felt like buckling. She had only narrowly escaped her father and cousin. Ino's comforting words had little effect; the only one who could fully take away this feeling was her…what was he, exactly? To her, was he a: boyfriend, lover, What? Hinata rather liked the sound of 'dashing midnight stranger, her handsome, fickle, secret.' She unconsciously blushed at her fantasy. Though the description fit him, Hinata still felt shy about even thinking such thoughts! One thing was certain: her craving for him had been barely satisfied. She would find a way, despite the ban her father had placed on Gaara. She **would** find a way.

Yes! True love conquers ALL! Lol I'm just in a corny mood, pay it no mind. XD Sorry I haven't updated in a while! It's the evil writers block. (Though MATFM fans know of a worse case!) Hope you all like.


	5. Chapter Five

No own no sue

There they were, one last night together. She thought it was funny how the relationship had both started and ended here: the waterfall.

"Hinata. Do you see how the water sparkles as it falls, almost as if… it is happy?"

Hinata nodded mutely.

"Look at the still waters, then the falls."

She did as she was told.

"What do you see?"

"The still waters do not sparkle as much."

"Do you know why?"

"Their time in the moonlight has ended."

"As all things must, including us. We sparkled as the water did, but now, we must step out of the moonlight."

The sudden silence was disturbed by Hinata's single teardrop.

"Sumimasen."

"Gaara, wait."

His figure froze behind the water.

"Would you come sit?"

Silently, he made his way to her side.

"Must we end this way?"

"I'm afraid we have little choice."

She gripped his hand tightly, never wanting to let go.

"Hinata… all things must end. We are simply part of an endless cycle. By our end, we shall make way for new beginnings."

Her eyes turned upward to meet his.

"Goodbye, Hime."

More tears filled the water upon his descent.

"G-Goodbye… Gaara…"

_By our end, we make way for new beginnings…_

0oOo0

well, might be a lame ending. I'll admit to that. However, there may be a sequel in the near future….O.o


End file.
